The present invention relates to a holding mechanism and an automatic renewing mechanism of a contactor in an inspection apparatus, more particularly, to a holding mechanism and an automatic renewing mechanism of a contactor used for inspecting the electrical characteristics of a target object to be processed such as a highly integrated semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cwaferxe2x80x9d).
A conventional inspecting apparatus 100, e.g., probe apparatus, is shown in, for example, FIGS. 10 and 11. The inspecting apparatus 100 comprises a loader chamber 1 for pre-aligning wafers W during transfer of the wafers W and a prober chamber 2 receiving the wafers W from the loader chamber 1 for inspecting electrical characteristics of the wafers W. A tweezers 3 and a sub-chuck 4 are arranged in the loader chamber 1. While the wafer W is being transferred by the tweezers 3, the wafer W is pre-aligned in the sub-chuck 4 on the basis of the orientation flat of the wafer W. Also, a main chuck 5 and an alignment mechanism 6 are arranged within the prober chamber 2. The main chuck 5 having the wafer W mounted thereon is moved in X, Y and xcex8 directions so as to align the wafer W with a probe 7A of a probe card 7 positioned above the main chuck 5 in co-operation with the alignment mechanism 6. The main chuck 5 is moved upward in the Z-direction so as to bring the probe 7A into an electrical contact with an electrode of an integrated circuit formed on the wafer W. As a result, the electrical characteristics of the integrated circuit formed on the wafer W are inspected via a test head T.
The probe card 7 is detachably mounted to a performance board mounted to a head plate 8 of the prober chamber 2. The probe card 7 includes a plurality of probes 7A each consisting of, for example, a tungsten wire, a frame-like supporting section (not shown) for supporting the probe 7A, and a printed circuit board having a printed circuit fixed to the supporting section and connected to the probe 7A. The probe card 7 is replaced for use depending on the kind of the wafer W.
The conventional probe card 7 includes a board having a large area such as a printed circuit board in addition to the probe 7A, which is a contactor, and thus, is large. The probe card 7 is made larger and larger and heavier and heavier with progress in the degree of integration of the device and with increase in the number of probe needles. Therefore, it will become more and more difficult to automatically renew the probe card depending on the kind of the wafer.
The accuracy of inspection tends to be lowered by the difference in physical properties between the probe 7A and the wiring of the printed circuit board and by the influences given by the length of the wiring. Recently, a bump type contactor is under development in an attempt to cope with the decrease in the arranging pitch of electrode pads of the integrated circuit. However, the technology relating to the handling of the contactor, e.g., how to renew the contactor, has not yet been developed and provides a problem to be solved in the future.
The present invention has been achieved for overcoming the problem described above.
An object of the present invention is to provide a holding mechanism of a contactor that permits detachably holding a contactor itself having a large number of bump type probes formed therein and also permits enhancing the inspection accuracy.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic renewing mechanism of a contactor that permits automatically renewing a contactor relative to a holding mechanism of the contactor so as to increase the through-put of the inspection.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a holding mechanism of a contactor in an inspection apparatus, comprising a contactor, a frame fixed to a board, a plurality of latch mechanisms arranged within the frame for holding the contactor, and a suction fixing mechanism for fixing the contactor held by the latch mechanisms within the frame by utilizing a vacuum suction force.
In the contactor holding mechanism of the present invention, it is desirable for the board to be a performance board of the inspection apparatus.
In the contactor holding mechanism of the present invention, it is desirable for the frame to be a ring-like frame.
In the contactor holding mechanism of the present invention, it is desirable for the latch mechanism to have a latch ball and an elastic member elastically supporting the latch ball and for the contactor to have a plurality of concave portions for engagement with the latch ball.
In the contactor holding mechanism of the present invention, it is desirable for the latch mechanism to have a latch member that can be projected and retreated and a latch operating mechanism that permits the latch member to be projected and retreated, and for the contactor to have a plurality of engaging portions for engagement with the latch member.
In the contactor holding mechanism of the present invention, it is desirable for the contactor to have a plurality of hook-like projections formed on the circumferential surface and for the latch mechanism to have a latch member engaged with the hook-like projections of the contactor and a latch operating section for releasing the engagement of the latch member.
In the contactor holding mechanism of the present invention, it is desirable for the latch mechanism to have a latch member for supporting the contactor in the lower surface and a latch operating section for retreating the latch member from the lower surface of the contactor so as to release the support of the contactor.
Further, it is desirable for the contactor holding mechanism of the present invention to further comprise an interface board arranged within the frame for achieving an electrical connection between the performance board and the contactor.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic renewing apparatus of a contactor in an inspection apparatus, comprising:
a holding mechanism for detachably holding a contactor; and
a delivery mechanism for delivering the contactor to and from the holding mechanism, the delivery mechanism having at least one arm that is movably arranged and at least one holding section formed in the arm for detachably holding the contactor.
It is desirable for the holding mechanism of the contactor included in the automatic renewing mechanism to be a holding mechanism of the contactor according to the first aspect of the present invention.
In the contactor holding mechanism included in the automatic renewing mechanism of the present invention, it is desirable for the arm of the delivery mechanism to be arranged swingable and movable in the vertical direction.
In the contactor holding mechanism included in the automatic renewing mechanism of the present invention, it is desirable for the holding section of the delivery mechanism to be capable of detachably holding the contactor by a vacuum suction force.
In the contactor holding mechanism included in the automatic renewing mechanism of the present invention, it is desirable for a plurality of holding sections of the delivery mechanism to be arranged in an arcuate configuration in the swinging direction.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a holding mechanism of a contactor in an inspection apparatus, comprising a contactor, means for holding the contactor having a frame fixed to a performance board, a plurality of latch means for holding the contactor inside the frame, and suction fixing means for fixing the contactor held by the latch means inside the frame by utilizing a vacuum suction force.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic renewing mechanism of a contactor, comprising:
a holding mechanism of a contactor including a ring-like frame fixed to a performance board, a latch mechanism for holding the contactor inside the frame, a suction fixing mechanism for fixing the contactor held by the latch mechanism inside the frame by utilizing a vacuum suction force, and an interface board arranged within the frame for achieving an electrical connection between the performance board and the contactor; and
an automatic renewing mechanism of the contactor including an arm arranged swingable and movable in the vertical direction for delivering the contactor to and from the holding mechanism, and a delivery mechanism having at least one holding section for detachably holding the contactor by utilizing a vacuum suction force.